Tech recruiting roundup: OL Barrett to announce his college decision by Aug. 3

LANDON WRIGHT

Sunday

Jul 28, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Dallas Skyline offensive lineman Ty Barrett is scheduled to announce his college decision Saturday. With only a week left to make an impact on the blue-chip tackle prospect, the Texas Tech coaches are going all in.

"It was crazy," Barrett said. "I got home from my trip from Ole Miss and I looked in the mailbox, and I had mail coming out of my mailbox. It was full. I had a note in it from the post office or whatever that said I had more mail.

"I thought it was for the All-American game, but it was all from Texas Tech - 213 letters. I have never had that many, nowhere close. I felt like I was really wanted."

Barrett said Tech coaches have told him all along he's at the top of their recruiting board.

"It doesn't matter (how the class fills up); if I came, I would have a spot," he said.

Since committing on June 3, Oklahoma City (Okla.) Douglass guard Mildren Montgomery has formed a strong relationship with the Texas Tech coaching staff and is now even more excited about his future with the Red Raiders.

"Coach (Sonny) Cumbie feels like a family member to me," Montgomery said of the Red Raiders' co-offensive coordinator. "He always wants to know what I'm doing and how I am."

Cumbie, who has arguably been the Red Raiders' ace recruiter over the past few years, was a big reason the 6-foot-4, 251-pounder came on board with the 2014 recruiting class.

Although Montgomery still receives interest from several other schools, he said he is solid to Texas Tech and the coaching staff and doesn't see that changing.

"The recruiting process has been going well," Montgomery said. "I still get recruiting texts from other schools, but I recently had a good talk with coach Cumbie. The season is going to be starting soon, and I can't wait to just get out there and play.

"During the upcoming season, I plan on seeing a few (Tech) games in person and check out the campus."

'Guns up, all day'

Since committing early this year in February, Munday defensive end and tight end L.J. Collier has only gotten more and more excited about his future at Texas Tech.

"My recruiting is going great," Collier said. "The (Texas) Tech coaching staff is great. They're all energized and ready to go, and they bring a lot of high tempo to workouts to get you hyped up and ready to work hard."

The 6-foot-21/2, 235-pound playmaker has received interest from other schools, but because he's solid to Texas Tech, he hasn't received any new offers. That could change soon, but that doesn't matter to Collier.

"Either way, though, I'm 'guns up' all day," he said.

Offers big 2015 DT

Recruiting never stops, but it has quieted down significantly during the month of July as teams have shifted their focus toward answering the media's questions and preparing for the 2013 season. Only a few new offers have gone out lately for the Red Raiders, the most recent one to another defender at a familiar school.

Marquise Overton is a 6-foot-1, 301-pound defensive tackle for the class of 2015. The Jenks, Okla., prospect is a teammate of Trojans senior safety Dylan Harding, who has Tech among his finalists.

Overton said he has scholarship offers from Tulsa, Toledo, Baylor, Texas Tech, Oregon State and Illinois. He thinks Oklahoma could end up making him an offer, too.

"I just got Texas Tech," Overton said. "My coaches tell me pretty much when I get offered. I talked to the head coach (Kliff Kingsbury) and coach (Mike) Smith. He said that he was just talking about how he played in the league, and he said they went over my film with everybody and they decided to offer me and they were excited."

The 247Sports recruiting service ranks Overton as a four-star prospect, the No. 68 player in the nation for the class of 2015.

Tech joins two other programs that stand out to him. An Oklahoma offer would put the Sooners in the discussion, too.

"Baylor and Texas Tech are pretty big ones, and Oregon State," Overton said. "(Tech and Baylor) are Big 12 schools, and it is a big conference to play in.

"Those big conferences are a big factor. I guess somewhere I can get a good education and just good coaching makes me feel like I could fit in there."

An answered prayer?

Attrition hit Texas Tech hard on defense this offseason, especially in the front seven with the departures of Delvon Simmons, Michael Starts, Daniel Cobb, Chris Payne and Chase Robison. What looked like a should-be-strong defense on paper suddenly isn't as deep. But this week, the Red Raiders got some relief with the late addition of East Los Angelos (Calif.) College defensive tackle Demetrius Campbell.

"I was considering K-State, West Virginia, Miami and Washington, but I chose Texas Tech because of coach (Matt) Wallerstedt," Campbell said. "The first time we talked, he told me he wanted to be lifelong friends because it's bigger than football here and 'we want you to be an All-American and to achieve the most.'

"So with that, on top of a great young coaching staff full of coaches that went to Tech, it wasn't hard to decide. I love these coaches and want to be a part of this family."

Another big reason the 6-foot-3, 290-pounder chose the Red Raiders was his chance to come in and play right away.

"With the transfer of Delvon Simmons (to USC), they needed help immediately," Campbell said. "I just thank God I was still available to be their guy.

"Coach Wally contacted me like May 23 or something, and they wasted no time. They basically told me at that time they were going to do everything they could to bring me in.

"I haven't been this happy my whole life. Once Tech entered the picture, it added some more motivation. I'm going to come in ready to compete, and hopefully start."

Weston Wilson of 247Sports contributed to this report.

landon.wright@lubbockonline.com

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